Egyptian Fruit Bat - Rousettus aegyptiacus:The Egyptian Fruit Bat has a sharp muzzle, large dark eyes and pointed ears. Like other fruit bats, it looks a little foxlike, and is often referred to as a 'flying fox'. These bats cluster in huge colonies of up to thousands of individuals, usually hanging from one foot from the ceiling of a cave, with their wings folded closely around their body, and their other foot folded across their front. When they return from their night's foraging just before daybreak, the bats make a great deal of noise as they jostle for a position in the cave's dark recesses. Like other bats, the Egyptian fruit bat has incredible powers of echolocation, making a series of repeated tongue clicks which are bounced back from obstacles. Once a fruit tree has been located, the bats circle it before settling on the branches, using their acute sense of smell as well as their eyesight to locate the ripe fruit. The juicy pulp is either consumed immediately or taken away in special cheek pouches. Wild figs are a favourite fruit, although they do eat any pulpy fruit. The young are born with their eyes closed and their ears folded back, and are carried around by their mothers for their first six weeks, after which they are left in the cave while the mother forages for food for them. SIZE: Length (including tail) 15 cm, wingspan 60 cm, mass 130 g. COLOUR: Dark brown, in some cases tinged with grey, the underparts are smoky grey. A pale yellow-brown collar circles the throat. MOST LIKE: Straw-coloured fruit bat, but is smaller with dark brown, not yellowish, body hair. HABITAT: Any terrain offering both fruit trees and caves for daytime shelter. South Africa - Eco Travel Guides - Wildlife Guides: Travel Guides: -:- Activities & Interests -:- Regions & Areas -:- Routes -:- Maps -:- Wildlife: -:- Vertebrates: -:- Amphibians -:- Birds -:- Fish -:- Mammals -:- Reptiles -:- |